London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari OBE has called on the Government to immediately fund the Metropolitan Police’s request for the longer-term resources it needs to protect Jewish communities, warning that if ministers drag their heels, the Mayor must step up.
At Mayor’s Question Time today, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Hina Bokhari questioned the Mayor on the Met’s capacity to respond to the recent wave of antisemitic attacks in London, following stark evidence yesterday to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee from Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes.
The Deputy Commissioner told Assembly Members that London has faced an “unprecedented” period of threat to Jewish communities, with more than 1,000 additional officer shifts deployed in response. He warned that the Met’s current response is not sustainable without longer-term funding, and that while 100 additional officers are an important first step, the Met needs closer to 300 officers to respond to the heightened level of threat.
The £18 million of additional Government funding is welcome, but evidence to the committee made clear that millions have already been spent in recent weeks. The Met is currently relying on officers being abstracted from duties elsewhere on an ad hoc basis, rather than having a permanent, sustainable unit. This is placing pressure on officers and failing to provide Jewish communities with the consistent, visible police presence needed to build trust, strengthen communication and keep people safe.
This comes while the Met is already trying to plug a £260 million budget black hole in the coming year.
When pressed by Hina Bokhari on whether he would step in to provide certainty if Government funding does not come quickly enough, the Mayor refused to give a commitment, saying: “Just wait and see what happens with the government in terms of the lobbying we’re doing. The Commissioner’s been quite clear in relation to the need for this certainty and he’s had conversations with the government and we’re hopeful we’ll get some good news shortly.”
Hina Bokhari OBE said:
“The Government’s £18 million is welcome but wholly inadequate. The Met has been clear: it needs 300 officers for a sustainable response. Yet recruitment, vetting and training all take time, and the Met cannot begin scaling up until it has guaranteed funding. The Government knows what is required. It must fund it now, and if it fails to act with urgency, the Mayor must step up for Jewish Londoners. When I asked whether he would intervene if Government delays, the Mayor refused to give a straight answer. Jewish Londoners need action immediately, not a wait-and-see approach.”
At Mayor’s Question Time, Hina Bokhari asked how much of the £18 million has already been spent, how long the remaining funding will last at current operational levels, what funding bid the Mayor has submitted to Government, and whether the Mayor would step in if Government fails to provide certainty urgently, so the Met can begin recruiting the officers urgently needed to keep Jewish communities safe.
